Nucleic acid testing (NAT) of donor blood reduces residual risk of which infections?

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Nucleic acid testing screens donor blood for viral genetic material, catching infections earlier than antibody or antigen tests by shortening the window period between infection and detectable markers. This means transfusion safety improves because infections like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C can be identified sooner, reducing the residual risk of transmission. Other issues, such as malaria, bacterial contamination, or fungal infections, aren’t targeted by standard NAT panels; malaria is a parasite infection and bacterial/fungal risks are managed by other safety measures like specific tests and culture/sterility checks.